FBI Investigates Whether Russians Hacked JPMorgan and Other U.S. Banks

Federal authorities are investigating hacking attacks against JPMorgan Chase and several other banks, according to published reports. Bloomberg.com reported Wednesday that the FBI is investigating an incident in which Russian hackers attacked the U.S financial system earlier this month and stole data from JPMorgan Chase and at least one other bank. The hack was in possible retaliation against U.S. government-sponsored sanctions aimed at Russia, the report said. The New York Times reported that at least four other firms were hit by a coordinated cyberattack. In a statement, JPMorgan spokeswoman Trish Wexler said companies "of our size unfortunately experience cyberattacks nearly every day. We have multiple, layers of defense to counteract any threats and constantly monitor fraud levels." Wexler did not confirm the reports, and the FBI said only that it was "working to determine the scope of recently reported cyber attacks against several American financial institutions."